Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Blue catfish caught by waterman Rocky Rice are emptied from fish pots on Rice's boat on the Potomac River in Charles County, Md., on Sept. 20, 2017. Rice can catch up to 1,200 pounds of blue catfish, an invasive species. Rice has increased the time he spends catching them—three days a week—as market demand has increased. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

4 of 5

Chef Michael Stavlas of Hellas restaurant in Millersville, Md., prepares blue catfish, the subject of a "catch and cook" effort to fight the invasive species, at a press event attended by officials from the Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland Department of Natural Resources at Smallwood State Park in Marbury, Md., on April 10, 2014. As "apex predators" blue catfish consume other finfish as well as shellfish, and the invasive species has spread from the James River into other parts of the Bay. (Photo by Jenna Valente/Chesapeake Bay Program)

5 of 5

A team led by fisheries biologist Bob Greenlee of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries use electrofishing to monitor blue catfish in the James River on June 6, 2011. Blue catfish are an invasive species that have dramatically increased and spread in the James River and surrounding region. "The populations [of blue catfish] still have not reached equilibrium," Greenlee said. (Photo by Matt Rath/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Quick Facts

Species

Invasive

Habitat

Live primarily in fresh waters, but have a high tolerance for different habitats and water conditions. Bottom-dwellers that prefer large rivers with deep channels, swift currents and sandy bottoms. Seek cooler waters in summer and warmer waters in winter.

Range

Native to the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio river basins. Stocked as a recreational catch in almost 20 states. During the 1970s and 1980s, they were introduced to the James, Rappahannock and York rivers in Virginia. Populations have expanded into the Potomac River.

Diet

Feeds on plant matter, insects, crustaceans, worms and other fish

Lifespan

More than 20 years

Status

Stable

Often confused with the channel catfish, the blue catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a slate blue body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. It was introduced to the region in the 1970s, and is now considered an invasive species.

Appearance

The blue catfish is a long fish with a flat anal fin and deeply forked tail. Its smooth skin lacks scales. It has a slade blue body with a silver-white belly. Four pairs of black, whisker-like barbels appear around its mouth. Adults usually grow to be less than two feet long, but can be as long as five feet and weigh more than 100 pounds.

Feeding

Blue catfish are opportunistic bottom-feeders that use their long barbels to search for food. Their varied diet includes plant matter, insects, crustaceans, worms and other fish, like menhaden, shad and river herring.

Predators

Adults have few natural predators.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Spawning occurs from late May through June, often in lower-salinity streams and smaller tributaries. Parents build nests in dark, protected areas, like under rocks or in hollow, submerged logs. Females produce 4,000 to 8,000 eggs per kilogram of body weight. Both parents care for eggs and young. Young often form schools after hatching. Blue catfish can live more than 20 years.

Did You Know?

Blue catfish are a popular recreational catch.

The largest blue catfish caught in Maryland weighed 84 pounds, and was caught in the Potomac River in 2012. The largest blue catfish caught in Virginia weighed 102 pounds, and was caught in the James River in 2009.

Blue catfish were introduced to the region in the 1970s, and are now considered an invasive species. Their growing numbers and rapid expansion throughout the region have raised concern about their potential impact on menhaden, blue crabs and other native species that play an important role in our ecosystem and economy. In 2012, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team adopted an Invasive Catfish Policy statement, which outlines the need to control the effects of these nonnative fish. The Goal Team’s Invasive Catfish Task Force hopes to manage their spread while keeping in mind their recreational value.

Quick Facts

Species

Invasive

Habitat

Live primarily in fresh waters, but have a high tolerance for different habitats and water conditions. Bottom-dwellers that prefer large rivers with deep channels, swift currents and sandy bottoms. Seek cooler waters in summer and warmer waters in winter.

Range

Native to the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio river basins. Stocked as a recreational catch in almost 20 states. During the 1970s and 1980s, they were introduced to the James, Rappahannock and York rivers in Virginia. Populations have expanded into the Potomac River.

Blue catfish caught by waterman Rocky Rice are emptied from fish pots on Rice's boat on the Potomac River in Charles County, Md., on Sept. 20, 2017. Rice can catch up to 1,200 pounds of blue catfish, an invasive species. Rice has increased the time he spends catching them—three days a week—as market demand has increased. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Chef Michael Stavlas of Hellas restaurant in Millersville, Md., prepares blue catfish, the subject of a "catch and cook" effort to fight the invasive species, at a press event attended by officials from the Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland Department of Natural Resources at Smallwood State Park in Marbury, Md., on April 10, 2014. As "apex predators" blue catfish consume other finfish as well as shellfish, and the invasive species has spread from the James River into other parts of the Bay. (Photo by Jenna Valente/Chesapeake Bay Program)

A team led by fisheries biologist Bob Greenlee of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries use electrofishing to monitor blue catfish in the James River on June 6, 2011. Blue catfish are an invasive species that have dramatically increased and spread in the James River and surrounding region. "The populations [of blue catfish] still have not reached equilibrium," Greenlee said. (Photo by Matt Rath/Chesapeake Bay Program)